Frank Johnston


1888 - 1949

Group of Seven, RCA

Oil on Masonite, circa 1928
30 x 24 in

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Oil on Panel, 1921
10.5 x 13.5 in

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Frank Johnston Biography

1888 - 1949

Group of Seven, RCA

In Johnston one can almost see the sound swelling into the vastness of infinity. The small panel is no restriction to the eye and one stands among the stars of timeless space. Dancing formless light, subaqueous in feeling, ephemeral as Aurora Borealis. It holds one motionless in moving space." Frank (Franz) Johnston was born in Toronto and like many other Group members, he joined Grip Ltd. as a commercial artist. In 1910, he left for the United States where he studied art in Philadelphia and worked in commercial design in New York. Although an original member of the Group, Johnston's association was a brief one. He did exhibit in the exhibition of 1920, but by 1921 he had left Toronto to become Principal at the Winnipeg School of Art. In the earlier years of their friendship, Johnston had joined MacDonald and Harris on their journeys to Algoma. His paintings from those years express a strong decorative interpretation of the landscape. In later years, the artist's style became more realistic and revealed a strong fascination with the qualities of light. In 1927, Johnston changed his name to the more exotic title of 'Franz' Johnston, and found some success in commercial art galleries, where he was free from association with any formal group of artists.
Oil on Panel, circa 1921
10.5 x 13.5 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1928
18 x 22 in

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Oil on Panel, 1920
13.25 x 10.5 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1925
24 x 30 in

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Oil on Canvas, 1923
23 x 30 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1930
24 x 30 in

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Tempra on board, 1918
19.5 x 27 in

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Oil on Panel, 1918
10.5 x 13.25 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1923
10.5 x 13.5 in

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Oil on Board, circa 1924
9.25 x 13 in

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Tempra on Panel, circa 1925
25.5 x 21 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1928
20 x 24 in

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Oil, circa 1930
16 x 20 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1930
24 x 30 in

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Oil, circa 1928
20 x 24 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1930
10 x 12 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1920
5.5 x 8.5 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1920
10.5 x 13.25 in

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Oil on Panel, circa 1935
24 x 30 in

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Oil on Canvas, 1921
40.25 x 32.25 in

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